2018-1-5- Cat and Red Robin at Bay
Batman was running his eyes over several schematics. He shut them off when Red Robin entered. "Carrie ... look at this map. Eight mob members who have burned bridges with their former associates. All found in a small radius just outside Slaughter Swamp. What do you make of it?" He indicated the area then zoomed in. Telltales marked the locations. Bruce pushed his cowl back and rubbed his eyes. Carrie Kelley had been working on a few of her own projects. Which was to say she was reading over the screen of a WayneTech pad looking for anything out of the ordinary in the local news, as well as Craigslist and the like. There were always clues that hinted at crime if you knew where to look. When he speaks up she looks over with a soft, "Hm?" as her eyes shift to take in the screen. She shifts the pad to her side and leans over to examine it for a bit. "Sounds like someone new is pulling their strings. Someone they're putting a lot of creed into if they're ducking out on their old buddies." Bruce has a faraway look in his eye. He's running a simulation in his mind. "Perhaps. Investigation usually starts with following the money. But ... something about this dumping ground is off. The condition of the bodies for example ... they seem to be dead the same length of time, a couple weeks. That's a tall order for rounding up eight fugitives with their own money and hired guns. Doesn't it?" He brings up forensic evidence. Carrie Kelley furrows her brow in thought as she contemplates a few possibilities herself. "Not necessarily. If they WERE all killed at the same time, or around the same time. It'd be easy to round them up." Shrugging she continues, sparing only a momentary glance toward Bruce to flash a grin. "Just put word out that someone's looking to hire them. Offer them something they want. When they show up..." Her hand lifts to gesture at the map of the dumping ground. "Question is how do you do something like that to so many without word getting out that it's a trap in the first place." Bruce nods. "Forensic team identified them by dental records. No fingerprints to lift, no DNA on record. I'm thinking these people ... were not our missing mobsters." Carrie Kelley gives a slow nod of agreement. "I think we're looking for someone that's offering to help these guys 'disappear' for good. Fake a death, start a new life. Something like that's got to have a high price tag with it." Bruce points to an X-ray, "One of these guys had a broken radius. A couple of the others had old injuries these corpses mimic. Either the perpetrators screened a LOT of possible corpses or they inflicted injuries very precisely and let them heal before killing them. That means they have a doctor ... or a hospital behind them." Carrie Kelley takes a slow, deep breath which she holds for a moment. It was her turn to stare off into space at nothing in particular. Though her eyes flit back and forth with the motion of someone remembering, and thinking over details. "... Ted," she murmurs quietly. It's only after the name slips from her lips that she snaps back to proper attention. "He ended up in the hospital the other day and faked a psych eval to stay longer because he said he saw something fishy going on with the homeless patients that were coming in." Looking back to Bruce she continues, face stern with concern over everything starting to click together. "They were going missing. It fits. No one's going to really check up on someone without family while they're in the hospital. Time enough to make the changes necessary to match their 'customers'." Bruce taps his chin and asks, "Does Ted have any family listed?" Sometime later at Gotham General ... Carrie Kelley groans a bit, "Of course he didn't, he was turning himself into bait." Lovely. This would be awfully difficult. Carrie Kelley, civilian and cleaned up a bit, was currently making her way through the hospital. She wore her glasses instead of the contacts she often went with, and her hair had been swept up into a neat and tidy bun that had just enough hair loose to make it seem as if she'd been awake awhile. Like any good intern would be. She wasn't sure how this was going to play out so it was either 'dowdy naive young intern' or 'long lost relative' and she wanted to be covered for both. The door to Ted's room is closed and there is a 'No Admittance' sign on it. Ted's name is removed from the label alongside the door. Carrie Kelley takes a deep breath. It was now or never. Her eyes narrow, and she mentally checks over the gear fitted out beneath her clothes. As she passes by another door she ducks in and glances around. A tray left on a rolling cart is plucked up while she looks over to the patient fast asleep. "Just going to borrow this..." The cart tray is wheeled back out into the hallway as she ducks her head down, and moves toward Ted's door. Clearing her throat she bumps her hip against the door flinging it open and thrusting the tray cart in front of her. "Sorry I'm late on my rounds sir got dinner for you right here!" Orderlies. Two of them. Big ones. Wearing the armor they use for handling Emotionally Disturbed cases. The larger bald one sneers at the other, "I thought you said you'd locked the door, dummy. Hey red, you got the wrong room. Scram. Now." The curtain around Ted's bed is drawn. A soft groan comes from behind the curtain. Carrie Kelley blinks owlishly a time or two as she takes them in, jaw dropping a bit. "Oh shit is he dangerous!? Here I have sedatives..." She fumbles with the cart tray even as she backs out as if she weren't sure what she was doing, retreating or helping. "Let me just get this out... Sorry sorry!" At the last moment she twists the cart to send it flying toward one of the guys with a firm push leaving her holding only the knife and fork in each hand. Free of the obstruction she dives toward the other guy, ducking down to throw her shoulder into his stomach. Gear or not the move leaves her weapon hands free to swing back stabbing each utensil into the backs of his likely not protected knees. It wouldn't kill him so she wasn't holding back. The orderly screams as he is attacked by weaponized utensils. Of course hospital utensils are typically plastic. Carrie draws blood and gets him by surprise and then he brings his hands down, fingers linked between her shoulder blades, with all his strength behind them. The other man curses and gets tangled in the cart for a moment. He finally gets up and shoves the curtains out of his way. "We need help here! Code Green!" There's a glimpse of Ted behind the curtain, handcuffed to a chair. His head hanging low. Carrie Kelley grunts when the hands come down. Rather than fall though, she uses her grip on the goon around his legs to her benefit. Oddly enough by shovving her head down between his thighs so her shoulders hit flush with his legs. It's then that she ducks down bracing her own legs as she lifts him up. Once his feet were off the ground it was a piece of cake to let gravity take hold as he flips backwards over her head to pile dive him head-first into the tile floor. "Yeah, I don't think so, shit head." In the ruckus a short and muted snap is left unheard. Carrie gets the orderly off the ground and then suddenly the weight is gone as the orderly is grabbed savagely. Carrie Kelley almost staggers forward when the weight is gone letting her breath a sigh of relief. That guy was heavy and she was at a disadvantage. Even with her strength it was taking a bit out of her. Whirling aroiund she keeps her center of gravity low, intending to launch on the attack as soon as possible. First though she had to at least glimpse what was going on... Ted Grant feet planted. Standing like a tree. People may say Ted is an angry man. People who know him at all say that is annoyance and largely feigned. Right now though he _is_ angry. So angry he doesn't even feel the other orderly's club across his back. That might also be due to him being high as a kite on sedatives. Ted lifts the burly thug over his head then throws him into a wall. Carrie Kelley slides back a bit as she moves to stand more properly. Arms still loose at her sides she watches Ted throw the orderly, and the other pummeling him from behind. Without thinking much about it she grabs the first thing available: the IV bag stand that was against the wall. Heft it up in both hands it's thrown like a spear toward the other orderly from the side. She didn't have much of a clear view otherwise, but it might buy Ted another moment. "Behind you, Champ!" As if the lend credence to her shout the thug brings the club down on Ted again, the the fighter turns and takes in on one shoulder. The orderly gets the IV in the abdomen and staggers. Ted wheels and catches him by the shirt and slams him against another wall. He draws one huge fist back for a punch that looks like it might decapitate the man. Angry Ted is angry. Carrie Kelley feels like she ought to intervene here... Even just a bit. "Hold that punch!" Her voice snaps out commanding, strong. It wasn't the Amazon training. This was pure Carrie. Robin. The General of the Bat Boys. Even after such a firm yell she risks reaching out to place a hand gently on Ted's arm to hopefully calm him. "No killing. Give him a love tap and let's get the hell out of here before his backup arrives." The thug nods agreement. For Ted's part, he slams him against the wall knocking his skull into the drywall several inches. The fighter goes over to the closet and grabs the bag holding his uniform. The big man shakes his head, trying to clear it. "Right, Polly. No killing. I used to be the one telling you that." He begins pulling his uniform on. Carrie Kelley opens her mouth to protest that. Since when had she ever killed? It was always his motto and she always followed it. But... ah. Polly. He had called her Polly. For a moment a sympathetic smile flits over her face at a thought. Was he that drugged out of it that he thought she WAS Hippolyta? "You're off your game a bit and the PD way. Maybe we should just split?" She suggests helpfully. Ted Grant throws his mask down. He looks at the door and hears feet running. "I don't want to let these Nazi rats off that easy ...," he shakes his head again. "What the hell ... where ... " He rubs his eyes. Carrie Kelley moves forward quickly to grab hold of Ted's arm helping to steady him. Even if he might not really need it. "Okay, we're going. They drugged you but good, Ted. We're in the hospital. These guys aren't getting off, I promise, but we gotta get you out of here." She looks to the door, then up at the ceiling tiles. She would fit no problem. He might too, but it would be a tight fit. "Come on, we don't know who works with these guys and who are the actual hospital staff. No sense hurting the good guys too. Think you can take out that wall and get us an escape?" She gestures at the already damaged drywall while flicking the lock to the door, and kicking the abandoned cart in front of it. Ted Grant takes a look and says, "Wall is brick, Red. I'm not that good. It's the ledge." He kicks out the window and climbs out. Hopefully there is a ledge. Carrie Kelley takes another look at the wall. "Oh. Fair enough," she agrees with a shrug as she moves to follow out after him. "I did not bring the right apparel for this..." Though she did bring her mask. The glasses come off, tucked away into a pocket, and she withdraws her usual mask to slip on protecting her face at least. Thankfully, there IS a ledge. Thank goodness for Gotham archetecture. "Boss and GPD are on the way. You good for some roof jumping?" Ted Grant nods from his position ahead of her. He asks, "Did I say anything ... you'd take the wrong way?" Carrie Kelley grins faintly at that question. She follows along, shedding her costume as she goes. The jacket, the shirt... She might not have her entire kit here but she did have the black bodysuit underneath which helped her blend in and move more efficiently. "Some nonsense about Nazis." Really, there wasn't too much to go off of other than his rememberance of her namesake. She'd tease him about that later. Ted Grant looks back and says, "Thanks for coming for me, kid. I know I mixed you up with Hippolyta. Sorry. No comparison. You'd never leave me flat." Carrie Kelley smiles softly again giving a single nod. "S'fine. This is reminding me of old times. Busting old heroes out of iffy situations... Was kind of my entire gig for awhile, way back when." As if she was that old. "You're welcome. Stretch is at home waiting in case you need anything." There's a wail of sirens from below. The GCPD had driven into position before hitting the horns and lights. Sure the kidnaping ring would have more pressing troubles than them he stopped and sat on the ledge between two gargoyles of course. He turns to Carrie and says, "Come here, I want to talk to you a minute." Carrie Kelley is rather relieved to see them below. It would mean a clean getaway, and that justice would be served, provided no one else escaped. She risks a glance up toward the rooftop itself as if anticipating a copter or something else... but she saw the lights of one of GPD's already starting a low and slow approach in case of that. Satisfied, her attention turns back to Ted. "Sure thing." Ducking closer she tips her head up toward him with a curious expression. Ted Grant drapes an arm over Carrie and says, "I'm ... not sure how much longer I'm going to do this. I'm slowing down. I feel it and ... if you want ... if it suits you ... I want you to carry on for me. Name, costume, bike. The works. You'd probably be way better at it than I am. Now that I offer it ... it makes sense. I trained way more women than men. Maybe this is the reason. The next Wildcat should be a woman.” Carrie Kelley almost freezes as he begins to make this offer holding stock still and staring. Was he really? Was he... The urge to assure him he wasn't slowing down comes, and falls silent, as she finds herself staring and listening. The race of her heart was hammering in her ears but not loud enough to drown out his words. "I..." Bat. Cat. The man she had called 'Boss' forever was gone, replaced instead by a new world and a younger doppleganger who she had dubbed the same moniker in spite of it being an entirely different relationship between them. Some small hope of returning home someday, of reclaiming her own position, had always lingered even if there was far more for her in this world. Now it was just solidifying. A choice. Reaching up she gives his arm around her a squeeze. "I really... really don't want to start crying on the side of a building..." There's a little hiccup in her voice though even as she tries to joke in this time. "I'll think about it. That... that's a big... thank you." Ted Grant nods and smiles a little. "There's a lot of cinders in the air ... probably an incinerator running somewhere around here. You know?" He scratches at his cheek absently as he watches the police swarm below. Carrie Kelley chuckles quietly at that. She risks reaching up to swipe at her cheek, blinking a bit and glad for the mask. "Mm, yeah, got to love Gotham air quality." She remains quiet a moment more before just turning toward Ted and giving him a silent hug.